Glorification Of The Assembly of Russian New Martyrs And Confessors
August 2000
In Moscow, Russia

Compiled by Father Nektarios Serfes
Boise, Idaho
USA
7 November 2000

Introduction by Father Nektarios Serfes:
From 13-16 August 2000, the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church
in Moscow, Russia, gave it's approval or blessings for the glorification,
and canonization for Emperor Tsar Nicholas II, Empress Alexandra, Grand Duke
Tsarevich Alexis, Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Marie, and Anastasia. The
actual Holy Canonization for the Imperial Romanov Family took place on
19-20 August 2000, at Christ the Savior Russian Orthodox Church, in Moscow,
Russia.

In addition to the Royal Martyrs of Russia, as Passion-Bearers, the same
council of the Bishops gave it's blessings for the glorification and
canonization for 860 martyrs and confessors in addition decreed the
church wide veneration of 230 local saints of these two categories. Besides
this, nine holy hiearchs, holy righteous persons, and venerable persons, and
34 martyrs from the Valaam Transfiguration Monastery who perished at the
hands of newly converted Lutherans in 1578 were enrolled in the canon of
saints. In addition, church wide veneration was decreed for the venerable
Iov and Anzersk (a local saint of the Solovki Monastery) and thirteen Elders
of Optino Monastery (also spelled Optina) who also had been local venerated
saints previously.

The final procedure for the act of glorification and holy canonization for
the above mentioned, took place on the evening of the feast of our Lord's
Holy Transfiguration, 19 August, and completed on 20 August, by His Holiness
Patriarch Alexis II, and the Synod of Bishops at the Cathedral of Christ the
Savior, in Moscow, Russia. In addition on the morning of August 20th the
Cathedral of Christ the Savior was consecrated.

I humbly will present to you a portion of these listings of those who
where approved and canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church at the Council
of Bishops, but before I do this I would like to answer what distinguishes
a martyr from a confessor?

"In the Orthodox Church there are various designations of saints depending
on the nature of their actions. Saints are designated as martyrs (mucheniki)
when they accepted death for their faith (exceptions to this are tsars and
princes who in this case are called passion bearers). In Russia those who
perished for Orthodoxy in the twentieth century are called New Martyrs in
order not to confuse them with those who suffered in antiquity.

"Confessors (ispovedniki) are those who endured persecution but remained
alive. Saintly patriarchs, metropolitans, and bishops are called holy
Hierarchs (sviatiteli); saintly priests are called righteous saints (sviatye
pravedny); saintly monastic are called venerable ones (prepodobny), and holy
fools usually are called blessed ones (blazhennye) although two western
saintly intellectuals, Augustine and Jerome, also are called 'blessed' in
Orthodox tradition. Rulers who are canonized for service to the church have
received the designation holy pious ones (sviatye blagovernye). Saints who
are venerated within the boundaries of just one or a few dioceses are called
local saints." Tr. by PDS, posted 19 August 2000 (Source: Segodnia, 19
August 2000).

Now I would like to humbly present to you what took place on the second day
of Council of Bishops of Russian Orthodox Church in Moscow, Russia on 14
August 2000, at 4:57 pm the jubilee bishop's council made the decision to
glorify for churchwide veneration a list of passion bearers, confessors,
martyrs, and saints. At the present time 146 bishops are participating in
the sessions. The below indicated where canonized on August 19-20, 2000 at
the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, in Moscow Russia. The last memorial
service was held, proceeded by the Great Vigil of Vespers and Matins on the
evening of 19 August 2000. It was during the Matins service that the actual
holy canonization's took place, the revealing of the holy icons took place
in the center of the Cathedral.

Then on Sunday 20 August 2000, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was
consecrated, and the Holy Hierachal Divine Liturgy was then celebrated,
along with His Holiness Patriarch Alexis II, and the Synod of Bishops of the
Russian Orthodox Church, in Russia, and also in attendance visiting Eastern
Orthodox Hierarchs from around the world, and during this Divine Liturgy
the singing of the Tropar, and Kontakion of those canonized was sung in
prayer after the small entrance with the Holy Gospel. This now finalized the
act of glorification, and holy canonization.

Please humbly keep in mind that in the years to come more names will be
added to the list of Russian New Martyrs, Confessors, and Saints in Russia.

Thanks Be To God For All Things!
Humbly In Christ Our Lord,
Reverend Presbyter Demetrios Serfes
Who prays for you and with you!

"Glorification Of The Assembly Of Russian New Martyrs And Confessors"
From Communications Service, Department of External Church Relations 14
August 2000.

"The bishops' jubilee council going on in Moscow, from 13 to 16 August heard
a report from Metropolitan Yuvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna, chairman of the
synodal commission on canonization of saints, regarding the results of the
activity of the commission in the period between meetings of the council. On
the basis of Metropolitan Yuvenaly's report a decision was made regarding
the glorification for churchwide veneration in the canon of saints of an
assembly of Russian New Martyrs and Confessor of the twentieth century,
known by name and hitherto unrecognized by the world but known to God. The
council reviewed materials about 814 heroes whose names are known and 46
heroes whose names could not be determined but about whom it is reliably
known that they suffered for the faith of Christ. Evidence about these
saints came from 30 dioceses and five stauropigial monasteries.

"To this number 860 heroes in the assembly of Russian New Martyrs and
Confessors were added the names of 230 New Martyrs for churchwide veneration
who earlier had been glorified in the canon of locally venerated saints in
the following dioceses: Almaty, Kostroma, Kazan, Krasnoiarsk, Moscow, Omsk,
Perm, Rizan, Tver, Ufa, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and Belarus exarchate.

"Having reviewed the question about the canonization of the Royal Family,
members of the council decided for the glorification of Emperior Nicholas
II, Empress Alexandra, and their children, Aleksei, Olga, Tatiana, Maria,
and Anastasia, as passion bearers within the assemble of Russian New Martyrs
and Confessors,

"The council decided on the churchwide glorification of zealots of the faith
and piety from other times, whose achievements for the faith was different
from that of the New Martyrs and Confessors. These included the following:
Metropolitan Makary Nevksy (1835-1926), who occupied the Moscow see from
1912-17, a zealous missionary enlightened of the Altai territory, a man of
prayer and ascetic, who was abundantly endowed with gifts of the Holy
Spirit; Archpriest Aleksei Mechev (1859-1923), 'elder in the world,' as
contemporaries called him. Like the holy and righteous Father Ioann of
Kronstadt, Fr. Aleksei embodied the ideals of a good pastor in his life and
ministry, which went on in Moscow, in seeking the lost sheep, praying and
working miracles;

"Monastic priest Aleksei Soloviev (1846-1928), an elder of the Zosima
hermitage in Vladimir diocese. The Lord endowed Elder Alexsei with many
gifts, among which stood out the gifts of elder's wisdom, humility, love and
sagacity. It was through his hand that the providence of God regarding the
holy bishop of Moscow Tikhon was accomplished when Elder Aleksei drew out
the lot with his name at the election of the patriarch on 5 November 1917 in
the cathedral of Christ the Savior. He led many to the salvation of their
soul, performed signs and wonders, and he called people to repentance and to
seek for the "one thing that is needed" (Lk. 10:42);

"Monastic priest Serafim Vyritsky Muraviev (1866-1949), who while still a
layman was distinguished not only by high Orthodox piety but also be the
genuinely miraculous gift of spiritual consolation of all "who labored and
were heavy burdened" whom he met along his life's way. The elder's great
ministry abounded in gifts of sagacity, healing of the sick, and other
miracles, the memory of which was devoutly venerated by contemporary
generations of Orthodox Christians not only in the Petersburg diocese but
also throughout all Russia and beyond its borders.

"Thirty-four holy martyrs of the Valaam monastery of the Transfiguration; on
20 February 1578 "18 holy elders and 16 novices were destroyed as martyrs
for steadfastness in the Orthodox faith";

"Metropolitan Arseny Matseevich of Rostov (1697-1772), a zealous holy bishop
of the church who accepted a martyr's death for Christ and his church, who
is venerated by the people of God for humbly bearing troubles for his
generosity;

"Bishop Innokenty Smirnov of Penza (1784-1819), a righteous man venerated
for his ascetic manner of life and miracles performed through his
intercessory prayer;

"Archmiandrite Makary Glukharev (192-1847), venerated for his righteous life
and labors equal to the apostles in the translation of holy scripture and in
spreading the faith of Christ in the Altai;

"Priest Aleksei Gneushev (1762-1848), a hero and ascetic of Nizhny Novgorod
diocese, for righteousness confirmed by God in gifts of healing and
sagacity, who merited many visions and revelations. He did numerous miracles
during his life and to the present time miracles are being worked by him;

"Hegumen Parfeny of the Kizilatash monastery (1816-1867), the memory of
whole labors for the good of the church and of his good deeds and martyr's
death at the hands of Muslim Crimean Tatars is still carefully preserved in
the Crimean diocese.